Online dating newsletter

In 2000, Brenda Allison graduated from law school and moved to Chicago.

There, she found a supportive group of friends, an apartment within walking distance of the city's hottest spots..absolutely no time to date.

"Some people have usernames you need a decoder ring to decipher," Casey says.

"All the numbers and letters jumbled together make it really hard to figure out what it means."Stay clear of anything too provocative.

"Using something like 'legsfordays' as a username is probably not the impression you want to give if you're looking for a serious relationship," Casey says.

Your headline should answer a basic question such as "What am I looking for?

' I didn't know what to say to that, so I told him my friends were at the back of the bar, which they were.

I never went out with him again." For Allison, that night was the beginning of series of dating travails.

"Be honest about who you are."Avoid pictures of yourself with either too many props or too many other people."Plus, they'll make sure you use the best picture of yourself."The Picture Stay recent and real, Casey says.All pictures should be taken within the last six months and feature a head shot, as well as a full body shot."I'm a lawyer, and it's a job that takes up a lot of time," she says."I didn't know how I was going to meet someone, especially when with what little free time I had I wanted to spend it with my friends." Heeding advice from friends living in New York City, Allison turned to the Internet."But when you think about it, when you go out, you get only one chance to make a great first impression.